Urge Incontinence-What To Do



Posted: Monday, August 10, 2009

by Carmen Hasenyager
http://BestCareAdultDiapers.com

I have a friend who one day said to me, "When I have to go, I have to go. Why is it that the closer I get to the bathroom the harder it is to hold my urine? Sometimes I just make it to the bathroom door and then loose control and have an accident." She was describing urge incontinence. This is when there is a sudden and unexpected urge with loss of control before getting to the bathroom. Urge incontinence is also called "overactive bladder". The muscles of the bladder suddenly contract, for who knows what reason, causing the urge; and the bladder sphincter is weak so that it is not able to hold.

There are several medications nowadays to treat overactive bladder. They work by making the bladder muscles less sensitive and they need to be prescribed by a physician. I don't like to take medication because I don't want to worry about possible side effects. The medication, though helpful, will probably not eliminate the entire problem anyway.

There are several things that can be done to help overactive bladder and they don't need a doctor's prescription. Here are some suggestions:

* Go to the bathroom at scheduled times even if you don't feel like you have to go. This keeps the bladder less full.

* Watch your intake of caffeine and alcohol because they irritate the bladder. Spicy foods could also cause a problem. Cranberry juice, because it is acidic, helps protect the bladder lining from bacterial growth; but the acid could also cause some irritation so don't go overboard.

* Try training your bladder. To do this, schedule bathroom visits starting with going every hour. Then gradually add length of time between voiding. Do this over a long period of time - several weeks or months. This trains the bladder to hold more and to be able to hold it for a longer period of time. However, it may not eliminate the problem altogether.

* If nighttime urgency is a problem, cut down on fluid intake a couple of hours before bedtime. But don't cut down on water intake during the day unless instructed by your physician. Water is important for your kidneys and bladder.

* A urinary tract infection (UTI) can also cause urge incontinence. There are home urine test kits that are easy to use. Be sure to let your doctor know the test results. A UTI is a serious infection and needs to be treated.

* Wear an incontinence pad every day. This gives you security against those sudden spills. Some days you may be dry, but at least you're prepared.

So many of us "older" women have an incontinence problem of one sort or another. There is no shame in it. We should seek our doctor's advice, do what we can to minimize the problem, and then live with the results with grace and thanksgiving.

Carmen Hasenyager is an RN who has worked in long-term facilities and home care for many years. She has recently started selling incontinence products on her web site http://www.BestCareAdultDiapers.com/,  and her desire is to become a valuable resource for those people who must live with an incontinence problem.
This Article has been viewed 191 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.